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Shmuel David

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Escaping on the Danube River: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor (WW2 Brave Women Fiction Book 5) Kindle Edition

by Shmuel David (Author), ReadMore Press (Author), Never Again (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 1,054 ratings

Book 3 of 3: WW2 Brave Women Fiction

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Escaping on the Danube River is their only hope for survival.

Europe, 1939. Hanne is an adolescent boy, born into a wealthy family from Belgrade. When they realize the Nazi threat is advancing towards the Balkans in giant strides, his parents are prepared to do anything to save their son’s life.
The road to survival, however, is fraught with danger.

Just as Europe’s gates are about to shut down, Hanne and 1,100 other youths sail away on the Danube River. On board the ship, under appalling living conditions, Hanne meets Inge, a young German Jewish girl, and side by side, they face the challenges on their way.

But their journey for survival becomes increasingly difficult with every passing day.

When promises of a boat that should take them to the Black Sea prove false and Nazi army forces are just around the corner, their plan for escape is in real danger. What fate awaits Hanne and Inge? Will they be able to turn their dream of escape into reality?

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

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"Once you start reading you cannot leave this book. Highly recommended!" Gizi Ben-Tovim, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"An amazing, thoughtful and deeply touching love story with beautiful demonstrations of heroism and The book grabbed my imagination, touched my heart and I could not let go of it until I completed it from cover to cover. Do not miss!!!"Rachel Choppin, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I couldn't put this book down. I had to know what happened to each person. The mingling of past and present lent additional dimension to this tragic story. I highly recommend this book". Judy Conti. jo portzline, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Loved the book! There were so many things I never realized happened during WWII. This book actually touched me". Ardith, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"This was gripping, I couldn't put the book down. Harrowing tales are one thing, based on a true story is another. Makes things so much more impactful. This is an incredible story that must be read". Sara D, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Was engaged page after page. This is a story that had to be told and it was done just brilliantly. Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys history". Ingrid McGowan, Amazon customer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B086BN65D5
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Digital Services (July 1, 2020)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2020
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5440 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 350 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #234,647 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #270 in Jewish Literature (Kindle Store)
- #473 in Jewish Literature & Fiction
- #807 in Historical World War II Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.3 1,054 ratings

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Shmuel David

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Shmuel David, born in Israel in 1946, holds a master’s degree in natural sciences from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His main occupation is as an expert computer software developer, providing services to major companies in Israel and abroad. Writing has always been second nature to him, and over the years he has written many stories.

His first published work was The Immediate Suspect in 2010, a collection of short stories from different periods of his life. His second book, the historical novel Two Princes and a Queen, was first published in Hebrew in 2015. Well-researched and documented, the story is based on the true, heart-rending memoirs of his father’s horrendous voyage from war-torn Yugoslavia to pre-State Israel.

In an attempt to escape the Nazi advance through Europe, a tentative escape route was arranged for hundreds of refugees on three river-boats on the Danube. The botched voyage took a year and four months, at the end of which only a handful – including the youngster who was Shmuel’s father – made it to Israel. The rest, including the youngster’s beloved, perished. This untold story continued to haunt his father to his dying day, and he urged his son to make it known.

Shmuel David resides and writes in Tel Aviv. He is married and the father of three.

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4.3 out of 5

1,054 global ratings

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Benny Bar-Shlomo

Captivating historical novel

Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Amazing true story. I read the book in Hebrew and recently in English. The book is translated very well.
As a child I heard bits and pieces of this tragic event at home from my mother. She was a teenager when she escaped in the last transport from Belgrade when it was still possible. I never understood the magnitude of this tragedy and the ways it affected so many lives of people who were trying to escape the inferno of hell. The historical facts are real, well described in a captivating novel which is well written. After reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the tragedy that took place in this dark age in our history.
Although the subject matter is dark, the story is written as a captivating novel with very interesting characters. I highly recommend this book.
Benny Bar-Shlomo

13 people found this helpful

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Nicole

Brave, brave people!

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021

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This is a really heartbreaking story. The disappointments they went through time and time again was really horrifying. No one could have foreseen what was going to happen to those left behind. It was interesting to follow the story from present day back to that time and to know that Shmuel David would finally get the story together to bring all these people back to life. It absolutely amazes me how brave these people were that they were able to share with each other - many but not all, but still amazing to me! Never before had I heard of this debacle but I'm glad that I read it. Loved the story around Inge.

2 people found this helpful

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Rachel Choppin

A heart-wrenching touching and true love and family story-Must read!!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2017

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An amazing, thoughtful and deeply touching love story with beautiful demonstrations of heroism and altruism in the midst of the atrocities committed in WWII. Shmuel David weaves an intriguing and engaging story of his father’s family trials and tribulations in the context of this dark period in the life of our universe. He beautifully and artfully integrated the findings of extensive research on the historic fiasco that came to be called the Kladovo-Sabac Affair with very vivid stories of his father family and his father’s teen age lover who did not survive the journey. The book grabbed my imagination, touched my heart and I could not let go of it until I completed it from cover to cover. I have the privilege of knowing Shmuel David personally for more than 50 years and proud to be a friend of such thoughtful and creative person and author. Do not miss!!!

5 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Slow start, better after halfway.

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2018

Verified Purchase

Starts out very slow, took several days to read the first half of the book and could not put it down when got into the 2nd half. Very informative.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

An Excellent Novelization of Actual Events and People

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2021

Verified Purchase

Escaping on the Danube River presents a lesser known facet of the Holocaust, the memory of which is already threatened by civilizational forgetfulness. Shmuel David recounts the story of the events and the people who lived through them in a novelization that avoids trivializing their memory with trite convention or pedestrian writing. The Holocaust took place over vast geographic spaces, as the methodical, plodding, ruthless German military machine carried out the purifying mission to exterminate Jews and Roma, symbolized here by the Danube River along which over eleven hundred Jews attempted to flee to safety and freedom. At one stage of the journey towering cliffs foreshadow difficulties ahead: Officialdom, bureaucracy, international relations, bad decisions.

2 people found this helpful

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Avid Reader Dani

A moving story

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2018

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I am left with a very sad and hollow feeling in my stomach after reading this book. The disappointments and time spent waiting to get immigration papers was just heartbreaking. It is difficult to keep reading while knowing what abuse and destruction awaits the people in this group but this story needed to be told - just as all the other stories of holocaust atrocities need to be told - so that the world will never forget nor allow again this type of horrendous injustice.

12 people found this helpful

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Dan G. Aizik

Hard but wonderful story that gives perspective in hard times

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2020

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I could never wrap my head around it, the horrors people went through during this war. Those kind of stories which tells you about the losses and triumphs that adolescence are capable of and the drive to survive, in order to take part in something greater then one's self. I never like to start reading those kind of books, I really need to be in a curtain kind of mood. with that being said, this story of Hanne aka Shlomo is written well and keeps you in it until you are done, feeling empowered. Thank you for making me feel those feelings Shmuel and for sharing your father's amazing story may he rest in peace.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Horrors of Nazi Germany

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2020

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Gut-wrenching history of a group of >1000 Jews who embarked on a journey to Israel. Three boats of Jewish immigrants meandered down the Danube, troubled by changes in destination required by continued movement by the German army. A stop was mandated in Yugoslavia and kindness of the Slovakian people was welcomed. The situation deteriorated. Two hundred or so young ppl were fortunate to be allowed to continue the journey and eventually arrived in Israel. The atrocities committed by the Nazi solders on the Jewish Ppl who were unable to continue the journey were unconscionable. Highly recommend this powerful book.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Yair

An emotional account of the reality of life to escape nazism

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2023

Verified Purchase

Many accounts were written about people escaping on boats across the Mediterranean. This book gives us a picture of what life was on the way to the coast. It is written with feelings. It is hard not to get attached to the characters. Based on a true story, one cannot avoid wanting to know how things pan out for each of the characters. A definite must!

PETER V.

Heart wrenching true history

Reviewed in Canada on October 19, 2020

Verified Purchase

Incredibly detailed clearly not a work of fiction. This is the true story of the holocaust in Eastern Europe. Rich in detail about the lives of the victims both before and during WW 2. One keeps hoping for a happy ending but that would make it fiction! Hard to put down. Once you read it you may never forget it.

One person found this helpful

Bepe Australia

A little known story

Reviewed in Australia on August 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

Although I have read many WWII stories, I had never heard of this terrible debacle. What a dreadful experience these people suffered. My heart goes out to them.

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Escaping on the Danube River: A WW2 Historical Novel, Based on a True Story of a Jewish Holocaust Survivor (WW2 Brave Women Fiction Book 5) Kindle Edition

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Shmuel David

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